The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has entered a new era after Romney's run for president. His candidacy illuminated a changing landscape for the religion, where Americans are growing more curious than fearful about the faith, and allies can be found even among Christians with deep misgivings about Mormon beliefs.

“From a Mormon standpoint, it has to be encouraging, since the softening of the 'cult' rhetoric diminishes the 'strangeness' factor that is always tied to charges that Mormons aren't Christians.”

J.B. Haws, historian

Stan Way, a Latter-day Saint from Jasper, Ala., had just finished dinner out with some Mormon missionaries when he noticed a car slowing as it approached.

The missionaries were wearing the traditional white shirts and dark ties that identify them as Latter-day Saints. It was about a month before Election Day, when voters would decide whether Republican Mitt Romney, the first Mormon major party presidential nominee, would become the first Mormon president.

The driver stopped and lowered her car window. "Hey," she said, "it's a good time to be a Mormon!" Then she drove off.

"We stood there in shock," Way said. "That usually doesn't happen in Alabama."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has entered a new era after Romney's run for president. His candidacy illuminated a changing landscape for the religion, where Americans are growing more curious than fearful about the faith, and allies can be found even among Christians with deep misgivings about Mormon beliefs.

"After this, it's hard to say the Mormons are really outsiders," said Jan Shipps, a scholar of American religion and expert on the LDS church.

No one would argue that prejudice and misunderstanding have disappeared. And many wonder how long the new tolerance will last beyond the election. But over the years since Romney first indicated he would try for president, there have been signs of real progress.

Mormons no longer stand alone against insults to their church; leaders of other faiths join them in protest. Christians who once spoke about Mormonism only to condemn it, now also acknowledge the church's dedication to family, charity and community service. Until recently, prominent Christian preachers risked their standing in their communities by appearing at the Salt Lake Tabernacle. That backlash has since diminished. And ministries such as the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association are discouraging conservative Christians from calling the LDS church a cult, a theological term with a specific meaning for Christians that morphed over the years into a broad rebuke.

"I think this change in tone is significant, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out in the long run," said J.B. Haws, a historian at Brigham Young University who researches public perception of the LDS church. "From a Mormon standpoint, it has to be encouraging, since the softening of the 'cult' rhetoric diminishes the 'strangeness' factor that is always tied to charges that Mormons aren't Christians."

Richard Mouw, dean of Fuller Theological Seminary, a prominent evangelical school in Pasadena, Calif., said Romney's candidacy didn't cause the shift, but was a sign of changes already under way.

Mouw is co-leader of a group of evangelical and Mormon scholars who have been working behind the scenes for more than a decade to bring civility to their theological debate. In recent years, growing numbers of evangelical and other religious figures have made their way to Temple Square. Mormon authorities have also been reaching out, scheduling visits with leaders of other faith traditions while traveling for regular church business, according to Michael Purdy, a spokesman for the LDS church.

The Rev. George O. Wood, head of the Assemblies of God, one of the largest U.S. Pentecostal denominations, met in September with LDS authorities and local evangelical leaders in Utah. The Assemblies of God considers Mormonism heretical, but Wood said leaders from the two churches can relate over their similar "marginalized and persecuted backgrounds."

At the same time, non-Mormons are having more frequent contact with Latter-day Saints in their everyday lives.

Popular Comments

As a non-Mormon, I've held my personal beliefs about the Church to myself.
But I don't think that the LDS Church really will benefit from
Romney's run for U.S. President. A number of his various comments seem only
to solidify the
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10:23 p.m. Nov. 15, 2012

Top comment

pragmatistferlife

salt lake city, utah

Talk to the 51% who didn't vote for Romney who thought he was dishonest,
elitist, and had no moral center except to obey the teachings of his religion.
Chances are that reputation didn't do Mormons any good at all.

7:24 a.m. Nov. 16, 2012

Top comment

fowersjl

Farmington, Utah

@tabuno, I would politely disagree with you. My non-Mormon friends living in
California, Florida, Ohio, New York all admire and respect Romney, and the way
he has lived his life, giving generously to others. They were devastated by the
election
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